2023 Social Media trends
What does the future look like for social media, and how should interior design brands and architecture practices approach their digital marketing strategy in 2023?
According to Talkwalker’s latest report issued in November 2022, there are 10 social media trends to watch in 2023 that all social media marketers should have at hand when planning the long-term strategy for their brand.
As the report offers a broad selection of social media trends, we have handpicked the 6 most relevant ones for our sector and will walk you through how those overarching trends apply specifically to the design industry.
Creator economy and influencer marketing
For some, the roles of creator and influencer are interchangeable whilst others define creators as producers of content with a lower number of followers whereas an influencer is perceived almost as a celebrity.
So what has changed for social media users? It is no longer the brand but the consumers that will run social media. This is because creators/influencers bring creative ideas, are well-versed in social media, and know their audiences well. In addition, UGC (user-generated content) is perceived as more authentic and relatable by consumers than traditional ads deployed by brands. Your audience will connect more easily with a creator reflecting their values and lifestyle choices. In other words, it feels much more personal and authentic for the audience to see a person sharing their impressions and experience of using a product than seeing a generic ad on Instagram or a polished image shared by the brand.
Here is some data that shows the growing influencer market: according to the research led by the Influencer marketing hub in November 202), the Influencer Marketing Industry is Valued at $16.4 Billion (about £13.4 Billion).
Source: Influencer Marketing Hub
There is an incredible opportunity for interior design brands to leverage this thirst for peer-to-peer relations. One of our tips for 2023 is to look for ‘nano-influencers’ or creators who have less than <10k followers to help you target your niche audience because they are perceived as more genuine than a mega influencer. If you found a creator/influencer whose values reflect your brand, do not wait and get them on board to help you share your brand values and products. We can help you with that at Sandford too if you need extra support or don’t know where to begin!
The video format is here to stay
Instagram Reels, TikTok videos, YouTube Shorts…each social media platform has its own naming convention. Short-form videos have seen a sharp rise on our feeds over the past two years, and they are going to turn social media networks upside down. More engaging and informative, the video format can help the content feel more authentic. And speaking of videos, live-streaming is also going to be even more popular in 2023. It is no longer a one-way conversation where brands talk to their audiences but a dialogue between the brand and the audience that happens in real time. This is a fantastic way to build and nurture relationships with your audience and to get to know them even better.
So do you have a product launching soon? You can organise live-streaming through Instagram Live, and start engaging with your audience in real time. A quick tip about Instagram Live - they can be saved on your Instagram feed as regular posts so other customers can find them even after the live stream.
PS: it’s even better to combine creators and the video format! Is there a scope for an influencer to create authentic and engaging short-form videos about your product? Or even be part of your live-streaming? Don’t forget that you can find inspiration in our easy Instagram Reel ideas in our latest Journal article.
Social commerce
Convenience is key when it comes to social media and customer experience. In 2023, social media will further change our shopping experiences. Customers will be eager to explore new ways of purchasing a product, so buying and selling on social media platforms will be crucial for brands. Your showroom can have a second home on social media. Many brands have been tagging their products in Instagram posts, and you can even browse their catalogue and buy the product without leaving the social media platform.
If you sell products (or even packaged services) as part of your interior design offering, you can take advantage of this trend by uploading a catalogue of your products on social media platforms and encouraging your customers to place an order directly from the feed. Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook offer different ways for brands to sell their products and collections. For other interior brands, it might be a sample order to drive future sales.
Invest in communities
Traditionally, user personas are used by marketers to build an impactful marketing strategy. However, the recent developments in the social media landscape have opened new opportunities for people to connect and create meaningful communities where they can bond over a common interest or cause. This shift from personas to communities means that your 2023 strategy should consider the role of communities and their power to build trust and engage your customers in authentic conversations about your brand. In the long term, the most engaged customer can become your brand advocates.
You might have noticed that some social media platforms, such as WhatsApp and Instagram, released their respective ‘community’ features where brands can keep in touch with their most loyal customers. So if you are launching a new product or service, you can give some customers early access, this is the perfect way to create excitement and make your customers feel special and part of a bigger community. It also means for digital marketers that they need to be immersed in those communities to listen and understand what is important to their customers.
Sustainablity
In 2023, sustainability is no longer a vague promise that brands make to their customers but a tangible action that is clearly communicated. Customers are increasingly aware of the urgent environmental issues and understand the vital importance of making eco-conscious decisions in their daily lives. Interior design brands that are transparent about their environmental impacts and sustainability efforts will yield good results whilst positively contributing to sustainable development. On the other side of the spectrum, green-washing, and lack of transparency coming from brands will face backlash and public scrutiny, especially on social media channels. Customers do their research and look into the promises made by each brand. It doesn’t come as a surprise in the context of fake news, where researching authentic and trustworthy information is crucial to avoid misinformation, especially on social media.
This is an excellent opportunity for interior design brands and their customers to come together to make impactful environmental changes. Designers and interior brands need to be transparent about the materials and their origins, production process, waste, durability, and more will play an important role. We have recently shared this Journal article that will give you insight into communicating sustainability credentials.
Immersive experiences in the age of Web3.0
Experiencing products, events, and places with all our senses through digital technologies will become even more common in 2023. Virtual reality and immersive experiences that capture the audience’s senses are the future of digital transformation, even though the development requires a financial investment.
Vice Media Group’s first office building in the metaverse. Image source: Virtual Crunch.
Last March, the fashion industry joined the party with the first Metaverse Fashion Week, where luxury brands such as Dolce & Gabbana, Eli Saab, and Estée Lauder introduced their first virtual collections. The same month, the Danish architecture studio Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) revealed its first office building in the metaverse called Viceverse for the employees of the Vice Media Group. Or perhaps you’ve heard of Zaha Hadid Architects’ ‘cyber urban’ city space, The Liberland Metaverse, where users enter as avatars and can purchase land with cryptocurrency. More brands, tech companies, and social networks will participate in Metaverse to make a name for themselves and promote their products. According to Insider (October 2022), Meta has invested $36 billion to build the Metaverse. In 2021, Meta’s CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, announced his vision of making Facebook ‘a Metaverse company’ (Social Media Today, September 2021).
The social media landscape has been rapidly changing with new practices and trends emerging on a monthly basis. Subscribe to our monthly newsletter where we share the most important social media updates. Or if you think you should be embracing some of these trends but aren’t sure how then please get in touch and we can help you navigate them.
